


The Mirror in My Lover's Eyes

by JayKay (McKay)



Series: Knight Moves [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-11-02 23:35:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10955070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McKay/pseuds/JayKay
Summary: A juxtaposition of Maul and Obi's respective lives until they met on Coruscant at the beginning of 'Knight Moves'.





	The Mirror in My Lover's Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Written in 2000. Although it isn't graphic, there are strong implications of abuse and rape in this story.

"He's a happy little fellow."   
  
Dara Kenobi smiled, even through her tears; behind her, Owen Kenobi rested his hands on her shoulders and stood close, saying little, as was his way.   
  
"Yes." She met the dark-skinned Jedi Knight's eyes at last. Until that point, she hadn't taken her gaze from her son, who was now cradled in the Jedi's arms. "Obi-Wan has never been fussy, and he laughs often."   
  
As if to support his mother's assertion, Obi-Wan reached up one chubby hand to pat the Jedi's chin and giggled, and the stern-faced man softened, unable to resist the innate charm.   
  
"He's strong in the Force," he assured her. "He'll be a great Jedi one day."   
  
"I'm already proud. It's an honor he's been chosen," Owen replied, speaking up for the first time since the Knight had arrived, and Dara nodded agreement, her lips trembling too much for her to speak. "Take good care of him."   
  
"We will. We'll send reports of his progress, if you like."   
  
"Yes, please..." Dara whispered.   
  
Last kisses, last cuddles, and then good-bye.   
  
~~~   
  
"Oh, gods, no--no! Help me! Somebody, please, help me! My baby's gone!"   
  
*~*~*   
  
Obi-Wan shrieked with glee as a rain of paint showered down on him, and he held up his hands, trying to capture more so he could smear it wherever there were clean spots left on his skin or clothes. Bant emitted a high-pitched squeal as she slung the paint pot around, spattering everything and everyone in a fifteen feet radius, and the spotty children screamed as they swatted at each other, trying to help smear each other.   
  
"What messes!" Knight Kel hurried to disarm Bant, who protested the pot being taken away, as did her willing victims. "It's the showers for you lot. Come on! We'll be hours cleaning this up." But she was laughing, and none of them were frightened of punishment.   
  
Obi-Wan avoided being herded off to the shower long enough to make certain his favorite stuffed toy was still safe and unbesmirched under a chair. It was, and he toddled off, leaving paint drippings in his wake as he joined his friends to splash around in the rainbow colored water they would create as the paint washed down the drain.   
  
~~~   
  
Maul sat alone in his room. There were no windows, and the door was always locked until Sidious came to fetch him. The dry hiss of recycled air through the ventilation shafts was the only sound in the room as he hunched over the datapad. He may have been there for minutes or hours. He did not know. He was learning his letters and numbers. There would be a test. He did not know when. He only knew that if he missed even one answer, he would be punished.   
  
*~*~*   
  
"It hurts..." Obi-Wan bit his lip and tightened his grip on Knight Teln's hand as the Jedi hefted him onto the examination table.   
  
"I know, but Healer Jaisym will help. It won't hurt much longer." He remained standing close to the table so that Obi-Wan didn't have to let go of his hand.   
  
He wrapped his free arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders, letting the boy huddle, as if under a protective wing, as the Healer ran gentle fingers along the fracture in the boy's leg.   
  
"And how did this happen, hhm?" Healer Jaisym asked, keeping her voice soft and soothing, trying to help Obi-Wan remain calm as she prepared to set the leg.   
  
"I was practicing on the beam, and I fell off."   
  
"It's a clean break. You're very lucky." She smoothed her hand down his face and smiled reassuringly, then placed both hands on his leg again. "Now hold on tight. This will hurt, but we must set it."   
  
Obi-Wan cried out at the flash of pain, his knuckles going white with the strength of his grip on Teln's hand; a few tears escaped between his lashes, streaking his face.   
  
"There, that's done it. Now we'll heal the break, and you'll be good as new. Stay off it as much as possible for the next 48 hours, and be very careful for the next few days." Healer Jaisym's voice reached him through the haze of pain, and he felt her soothing touch and the flow of the Force as she began to send healing energy into the bone, helping it knit.   
  
Knight Teln stroked Obi-Wan's hair and held him close. "You're being very brave, Obi-Wan. I'm proud of you."   
  
~~~   
  
"Pathetic weakling!"   
  
Maul's breath hitched in his chest as he fought to control the sobs that had obviously enraged his Master.   
  
"Sniveling brat! A warrior does not give in to pain!"   
  
His Master grabbed Maul's broken arm, making him scream with fresh agony. Disgusted, his Master held Maul's arm in a vise-like grip and sent healing Force energy into it until the break had knit together.   
  
"You think this is pain, boy?"   
  
Maul flinched away, wanting to cower from the punishment he knew was about to come, but not daring to.   
  
"I will show you the true meaning of pain!"   
  
Electric blue bolts of Force energy slammed into Maul's small body, flinging him back into the wall, knocking the wind from his lungs so that he could not even draw breath to scream. Maul could not remember later how long his Master had poured the torturous Dark energy into him before he escaped to oblivion.   
  
Six months later, he broke his ankle while trying to run up a wall and flip over.   
  
He did not make a sound.   
  
His Master was pleased.   
  
*~*~*   
  
"Master, what's sex?"   
  
Qui-Gon set down the datapad containing the mission notes he was studying and raised an eyebrow at his Padawan.   
  
The shuttle they were traveling in was cramped and dingy, hardly a luxury cruiser, but it was better than some of the ships they had found themselves using for transport during a mission, and both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had agreed they were pleased at having a private room where they could meditate and prepare for the mission in peace.   
  
It was in that private room where Obi-Wan now sat beside Qui-Gon on the narrow passenger couch, swinging his feet because his legs were too short to reach the floor, his hands braced on the thin cushion. His blue-green eyes were alight with curiosity, and his young face was open and innocent. It was clear from his demeanor that this question was, to him, no different than a thousand other questions he had asked his Master in the year they had been together.   
  
Folding his hands in his lap, Qui-Gon swallowed his surprise at the unexpected question and regarded Obi-Wan with his most serious, "I'm paying attention" expression.   
  
"Do you mean 'what does the actual physical act entail,' or 'what is its purpose'?"   
  
Obi-Wan shrugged insouciently. "Either. Both. I dunno. My friends were talking about it when we were at the Temple a couple of weeks ago. They're taking some class about it. Practical Biology, I think. Bant giggled a lot."   
  
"I see."   
  
Qui-Gon covered a smile by pretending to stroke his beard. The main drawback to being away from the Temple almost non-stop was that Obi-Wan was often behind in his classes, including such supplementary classes as Practical Biology, which was a relief to a great many Masters since it meant they could avoid giving The Talk. Qui-Gon, however, had anticipated this eventuality since Obi-Wan was away more than he was at the Temple, and he suspected the boy would miss taking The Class, which would land the job of giving The Talk in Qui-Gon's lap.   
  
Still, he hadn't expected to be asked in quite so forthright a manner. Obi-Wan's question juxtaposed with his negligent attitude about it was amusing, but Qui-Gon retained his composure with a minimum of effort. If he wanted to instill a healthy attitude about sexuality in his apprentice, he had to treat the subject with the seriousness it deserved, without indicating there was any reason for embarrassment, either in the subject or in the question.   
  
"The definition of what sex is depends on why you want to engage in it," Qui-Gon began. "There are two main reasons for engaging in sexual activity, reproduction and pleasure."   
  
"So sex is for making babies?"   
  
"Yes, it can be, but it doesn't necessarily have to be. Sometimes people have sex because they desire one another, or because they care deeply for each other."   
  
"So what is it?"   
  
Qui-Gon hid another smile. Trust his blunt-spoken Padawan to want to get right to the point.   
  
"It's a physical act," he said. Retrieving his datapad, he logged onto the holonet and pulled up some information to help him. "Here \-- this is the reproductive system of the human male, and this is the human female."   
  
With the holonet providing visual examples, Qui-Gon explained the facts of life, and Obi-Wan listened attentively, interrupting with a question once in a while. After Qui-Gon had covered the how-to basics of male-female sexual activity, Obi-Wan sat back and appeared to consider what he had learned.   
  
"You said that sex isn't always for reproduction," Obi-Wan said at last, and Qui-Gon nodded. "But if you're not doing it for a practical reason, then why do you do it?"   
  
"For the physical pleasure it can bring," Qui-Gon replied. "For the emotional closeness it can create between two people who love one another. Sex can be a deeply satisfying experience on a physical and emotional level, if there are strong feelings involved."   
  
More speculation. Qui-Gon waited patiently.   
  
"Does it only have to be between boys and girls?" Obi-Wan asked.   
  
"No. Sometimes, you might feel love for another male."   
  
"And Bant might feel love for another girl?"   
  
"Yes, she might."   
  
"And that's all right?"   
  
"Of course." Qui-Gon tugged Obi-Wan's braid affectionately. "Love is a precious thing, my Padawan. We should cherish it wherever we may find it."   
  
"Okay." Obi-Wan resumed swinging his feet and looking out the porthole.   
  
"Do you have any other questions?"   
  
"Yes." He glanced back at Qui-Gon, his expression somber, as if what he were about to ask was of utmost importance. "Can I have a snack now?"   
  
~~~   
  
"You have pleased me in many ways, my young apprentice."   
  
Maul inwardly preened under the rare words of praise, but he was careful not to let any of his pleasure show on his face. If his Master suspected he was reacting favorably to the compliment, he would be punished, and it would be a long time indeed before he heard anything but condemnation.   
  
"You are diligent in your studies." His Master reached out and stroked Maul's cheek with fingers that felt as though they left a trail of ice along his skin.   
  
"You have increased your prowess." Those cold fingers cupped his chin. A thumb brushed across his lips. "You are becoming strong, Maul."   
  
His Master was standing close. Very close. He could feel the heat of his Master's body, a stark contrast to his icy touch. Maul felt a shiver building in his spine, and he fought to repress it. Something was different, but he didn't know what or why.   
  
"You will grow up to be an incomparable warrior, and you will be mine."   
  
His Master bent until their faces were close, almost touching. He could feel his Master's breath against his ear.   
  
"You *are* mine." The whisper sent a shiver through him that he couldn't repress this time, and his Master chuckled softly. "I see the idea pleases you. You want to please me, don't you, Maul?"   
  
"In all things, my Master."   
  
"Yesss...." The word was a sibilant hiss. "In all things, and in all ways. You have progressed so much, I believe it is time for you to learn a new skill."   
  
Normally, Maul would anticipate the thought of facing some new challenge, but something whispered in the back of his mind that this situation was different.   
  
"On your knees, boy."   
  
Maul knelt without hesitation or question. Total obedience had been drilled into him since birth, and he could not fight it now, even when his instincts were screaming at him to escape.   
  
A rustle of fabric. A hand on the back of his head. Pressure.   
  
"Please me well, Maul. In this, and in all ways, and if you succeed, you will remain with me forever. Together, we will rule the galaxy. Prove your worth to me... prove you are mine... please me... please me... please me..."   
  
It became a pounding litany that echoed in Maul's mind long after the first lesson was over.   
  
*~*~*   
  
"Master! Master!"   
  
"It's too late... It's..."   
  
"No..."   
  
"Obi-Wan, promise... promise me you'll train the boy..."   
  
"Yes, Master..."   
  
"He is the chosen one... he will... bring balance... train him..."   
  
Obi-Wan cradled his Master's lifeless body close, weeping softly.   
  
"No, Master, please... please, don't leave me... No..."   
  
~~~   
  
"Traitor!"   
  
"It was too late. It was--"   
  
"No."   
  
"Master, I promise... I promise I did not betray you. I am loyal..."   
  
"No, Maul."   
  
"He was only an apprentice... he went... half-mad... I obeyed..."   
  
Maul's fingers scrabbled ineffectually at his throat.   
  
"No, Master, please... do not kill me... no..." 

  
  
-End- 


End file.
